Hardware
Cooling & Case
Choose cooling that can run continuously, fit the enclosure and connect safely to the Raspberry Pi 5 fan header.
By the end of this guide you will understand
- Why a continuously running Pi 5 server needs active cooling
- Why the tested build uses an 80mm 5V PWM fan
- Which adaptor cable is required
- Where to obtain the tested four-bay case
- Why the wiring must be verified before connecting the fan
Why cooling matters
A Raspberry Pi 5 produces more heat than earlier models. A server may run all day, every day, while also sitting beside a SATA controller and several hard drives. Active airflow helps prevent the processor from reducing its speed to protect itself from heat and also moves warm air away from the surrounding hardware.
Home Server Guide tested fan
Noctua NF-A8 5V PWM
Size: 80mm Voltage: 5V Connector: 4-pin PWM
The tested enclosure needs an 80mm fan. The Noctua NF-A8 5V PWM was chosen because it operates at 5V, supports PWM speed control, is quiet enough for a home environment and is designed for long-term use.
Typical cost at the time of the build: around £20. Prices and availability can change.
Required adaptor cable
The Noctua fan does not plug directly into the Raspberry Pi fan connector. The tested build uses a 4-Pin Molex KK to Dupont Male Cable to separate the four fan connections into individual Dupont pins.
3D-printed four-bay NAS case
The tested server uses the Raspberry Pi 5 Based 4-Bay NAS model hosted on MakerWorld. It is designed around a Raspberry Pi 5, Radxa Penta SATA HAT, four drives and an 80mm cooling fan.
Open the original case page on MakerWorld
Do I need this exact case?
No. You may use another enclosure if it securely holds your Pi, SATA hardware and drives while providing clear airflow. The screenshots and assembly steps in this guide will match the tested case.
Fan wiring
Before connecting anything, power the Raspberry Pi down completely and remove power from the full system.
Checkpoint
Guide version
v1.0 — Initial cooling, adaptor and case guide. Fan wiring deliberately held back pending verification against the tested server.